Legal Online Sports Betting

Sportsbook Reviews - Our Process For Identifying Legitimate and Reputable Sports Betting Sites

In our endeavor to develop a comprehensive guide for players who are interested in participating in legal online sports betting, we felt that providing detailed sportsbook reviews on the brands that deliver the most secure and reputable wagering experience would be a critical component to a truly valuable resource. And since bringing value to the table is our sole objective, we moved forward with performing these extensive reviews and then preparing a report on each brand for bettors to access. Providing this section of our guide is in line with our philosophy that informed players make the best decisions concerning online gambling activities, and are able to avoid dangerous or undesirable circumstances that would have negative effects on their experience. Each brand has something different to offer, and these reviews provide an accurate and up to date look at their operation and all the elements that come together for their final product. Below we break down the various categories of information covered in the reviews so that you know precisely what we consider to be important.

Legitimacy, Licensing and Security

The first area of consideration we review is a site's legitimacy and legality within the industry. We first verify that the site is licensed by a respected and recognized governing jurisdiction. We also verify that the license is up to date and in good standing. We then move on to confirm that the site holds compliance certifications issued by legitimate auditing authorities and agents. By ensuring that the issuing agent is legitimate, we are able to know for a fact that the site's software and operative procedures have been audited for fair gaming and licensing compliance. Including in this leg of the review process is an evaluation of the site's security profile. Our standards for inclusion in this guide exceed simple licensing requirements, and we expect that any sportsbook that is committed to providing a high quality sports wagering experience to exceed industry standards enthusiastically. We want to see state of the art data encryption and coding, as well as advanced fraud protection systems and firewall protection. We prefer that a site has a technical team on hand to monitor these systems around the clock. This standard of security profile will rival that of any world class financial institution. If a brand possesses all of these licensing, certification and security qualities, then we move on to the next phase of evaluations.

Registration Processes and Banking Options

We review the ease of use and user friendliness in registering for an account and funding an account. We want a simplified registration process as well as a robust banking suite that provides a solid selection of payment methods, and secure, timely processing of both deposits and withdrawals. Aside from one brand, all of the sports betting sites reviewed in this guide support USA players, and offer USA friendly payment solutions that are effective. While US deposit options may be more limited than those offered to international players, the ones you see at these specific Internet sportsbooks are reliable and safe. We only include brands that are considered to be among the fastest paying sportsbooks in the industry.

Betting Lines, Odds, Wagering Options, and Paylines

A requirement for inclusion in our guide is that each brand provide a wide range of betting lines covering the popular professional and collegiate sports, as well as major and minor leagues in each. We want to see the most popular sports events covered, as well as some obscure, less popular events that set them apart from other brands. In addition, we expect to see a strong selection of wagering options and bet types to choose from, ranging from traditional wagers to teasers, parlays, props, and live, in play betting, among other creative options. The odds should be on par with Vegas oddsmakers, and the paylines should be highly competitive when compared to the industry standards both online and in Vegas. A significant amount of time is spent comparing this information across the accepted parameters. It is in this phase of evaluations that we test the features of the site, including the presence of mobile sports betting options.

Bonuses and Promotions

While not the most important element in an online sports betting operation, the incentives offered at any brand do make a difference in your overall experience. All of them will offer a welcome bonus, typically in the form of a match deposit bonus. Additionally, most will offer special seasonal promotions and contests that tie into the current sports for that season, as well as referral bonuses, reduced juice offers, and reload bonuses. One of the brands, BetOnline offers bettors a 25% match bonus on every single deposit made into your account, hence you get a little boost every time you fund your account. These types of incentives can make your experience more lucrative and provide additional betting power for you. It is important that you read the terms and conditions to ensure you understand any requirements to claiming the bonuses.

The reviews we provide will touch on all of these topics and then some to ensure you are aware of all the relevant information that can affect your decision and the quality of your experience for each of the sports betting sites we recommend. It is our hopes that this additional information will enable you to connect with a brand that closely matches your wagering preferences.

Our Recommended US Online SportsBooks - Players From All 50 States Allowed

1. Bovada Sportsbook - 50% Max $250

Bovada Sportsbook
  • Most Trusted Sportsbook
  • Only Caters To USA Players
  • Poker + Casino Betting Available
  • Fast Payouts, Mobile + Live Sports Betting

2. Betonline Sportsbook - 25% Bonus For Life

Betonline Sportsbook
  • $1000 Welcome Bonus
  • 25% Reload Bonus for Life
  • Also offers Live Dealer Games, casino & poker
  • Mobile Sports Betting + Live In Play Betting

3. Sportsbetting.ag - 25% Bonus For Life

SportsBetting.ag
  • $1000 Welcome Bonus
  • %25 Bonus on all deposits
  • Casino, live dealer games, poker
  • Mobile Sports Betting + Live In Play Betting

4. Bookmaker - 15% Max $2500

Bookamker Sportsbook
  • $2500 Welcome Bonus
  • Launched in 1997
  • Accepts USA Residents
  • Provides Mobile Betting App & Live betting
Top Rated UK Sports Betting Site - No USA Players Admitted

    Most Reputable Site

    Bovada Sportsbook